SERVICE

This week I wanted to hit on a topic that is very important to me, one that I hope is equally important to you as well.

My grandfather was a WWII veteran who flew 30+ missions as a gunner over Europe in both B-24’s and B-26’s. He was shot down twice, and taken POW on his final bailout. I grew up hearing all the stories, probably never really appreciating what he did until I joined the SERVICE and faced some of my own adversity. The day I signed up, he could not have been prouder of me joining the SERVICE. He would ask me weekly if I had made SSgt yet (this is within months of me joining mind you . . . promotions were a bit different in WWII) and then he would tell me, “We always said Corporal today, corpse tomorrow” and “Staff today, stiff tomorrow” then he would let out a small chuckle. Think about that for a second: The death rate was so high they had to make jokes about it to help them normalize that reality and get through the next mission. A fact many do not realize is that the Army Air Corps suffered more losses during WWII than the SERVICES of the Navy and Marine Corps combined, with estimated losses of over 80,000 personnel!

You will notice that I emphasized the word SERVICE. You don’t hear that as much these days, but every now and again I have a complete stranger come up to me while I am in uniform at a restaurant and say, “Thank you for your SERVICE”. I often think about this; they just thanked me for my SERVICE! What is our job as members of the Armed Forces? To provide a SERVICE for our nation. To SERVE . . . not to be served. This holds true to not just military members but to anyone who has a job, you are getting paid to perform a SERVICE. However, I think many get it backwards today: Instead of what can we do to SERVE, it has become what have you done for me lately? Our job as members of the DoD is to ensure the safety and security of our nation (insert your companies mission statement here if you don’t work for the DoD). While many may feel like their job isn’t THAT important, I would disagree, if it wasn’t vital to our nation’s defense or to your company, then your job would not exist. Former JCS Chairman General John Vessey put it best when he said, “The ultimate test for the armed forces, is the survival of the nation. But the SERVICE of every Sailor, Soldier, Airman, Marine or Coast Guardsman is tested in less awesome ways every day. It is the sum of the performance of ALL THEIR MEMBERS that defines the success of the armed forces. There are no degrees of importance in the SERVICE you perform…whatever the duty is it is important.” This quote can be applied to everyone, everywhere; no matter what you are employed to do, it is important. Your “JOB” may seem insignificant but it is the sum of all employees’ jobs that are vital to the success and growth of an organization.

“The moment your stop learning is the moment you stop leading.” – Rick Warren

While SERVICE to the nation, your customers or craft is your job it is also important to SERVE yourself. I know this sounds counter to my message, but think about this for a second. If you are on an airplane, they tell you to put on your oxygen mask before you assist others with theirs. They tell you this because you can’t help anyone if you have passed out already. YOU have to invest in yourself in order to invest in others. Whether it be furthering your education, taking leadership classes our reaching out to a mentor to help you grow; you cannot grow others without experiencing growth yourself. This doesn’t mean you invest in yourself at the expense of the mission, or other people . . . these things are NOT mutually exclusive. 

"The servant-leader is a servant first. It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first.” – Robert K. Greenleaf

Finally . . . and most importantly, we have to invest in and SERVE our people. Leadership is not to be confused with totalitarianism . . . if it is, you are doing it wrong. A servant leader works tirelessly to develop his or her people and is focused on what they can do for others. SERVING others can take on many different forms, and I have covered them in past articles. It means you correct actions that are wrong to get people back on the right path and continue to grow them through counseling by letting them know where they stand (FEEDBACK). Showing people you care by speaking with them about their goals, their life and how it fits within the vision of the organization (COMMUNICATION) and you always hold yourself to the same high standards you impose upon them (RESPONSIBLE ACTIONS).

While some still think what they do is just a job, it is much, much more than that. You are providing a vital SERVICE each and every day, and I would like to simply say, “Thank you for your SERVICE.”

-JMF